446 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



action, which is often repeated, is probably effected for the purpose of taking insects 

 in the air. 



The genus Sappho contains species the magnificence of whose plumage cannot be 

 described by words and is very inadequately exhibited by the best colored represen- 

 tation. They are known by the common name of ' fire-tails,' and are natives of Peru, 

 Bolivia, and the Argentine Republic. The tails of the males blaze with the radiance 

 of flashes of flame, and their ruby backs, luminous green throats, and under surface 



FIG. 222. Sappho sparganura, fire-tail. 



present a tout ensemble unparalleled in the range of Ornithology, not even excepting 

 the gorgeously attired species of the birds-of-paradise. /S. sparganura, the longest 

 known species, is a denizen of Bolivia and the Argentine Republic. It appears when 

 the fruit trees are in blossom, and particularly resorts to the Capuli, a kind of cherry. 

 It frequents the fields of maize, pulse, and other leguminous plants, and the rich 

 flowers of the cacti which afford them abundant food. It is by no means shy, and the 

 males are constantly warring with and chasing each other, uttering sharp cries. It is 

 a very pugnacious species, and each individual resents the intrusion of another within 



